The  battle  of  Fredericksburg 
Scales 


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THE  BATTLE  OF  FREDERICKSBURG. 


AN  ADDRESS 


HON.  ALFRED  M.  SCALES, 


of  aroiR.i'ia:  ca.i^oxjI£T.a-, 


BEFORE   THE   ASSOCIATION"   OF   THE   VIRGINIA   DIVISION   OF   THE 
ARMY   OF   NORTHERN   VIRGINIA. 


RICHMOND,  VA., 

ON   THURSDAY   EVENING,    NOVEMBER   i,    1883. 


Published  by  order  of  the  Association. 


WASHINGTON,  D.  C: 

E.  O.  POLKINHORN  &  SON,  PRINTER, 

1884 


{ 


Annual  Reunion  of  the  Virginia  Division  Arniy  Northern  Vir- 
ginia Association. 

A  brilliant  audience  crowded  the  State  Capitol  at  Richmond  on  the  evening  of 
November  1st,  to  hear  the  address  of  General  A.  M.  Scales,  of  North  Carolina, 
before  the  Virginia  Division  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia  Association. 

After  prayer  by  the  Chaplain,  Dr.  J.  Wm,  Jones,  the  President  of  the  Associa-  - 
tion  (General  W.  H.  F.  Lee)  made  an  eloquent  and  very  felicitous  address  of 
welcome,  and  gracefully  introduced  "  the  gallant  soldier  who  won  his  spurs  in 
Virginia,  and  whose  splendid  brigade  did  much  to  make  the  glorious  history  of 
the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia,  and  win  the  imperishable  fame  of  the  soldiers  of 
the  old  North  State,  whose  blood  enriched  every  battle-field  in  Virginia,  and' 
whose  bodies  sleep  in  every  vale  and  on  every  hill  side." 

Resolution  unanimous! y  adopted  by  the  Army  Northern  Virginia 
Association : 

Resolved,  That  the  thanks  of  the  Association  be  tendered  General  Scales  for  his 
able  and  eloquent  address,  and  that  he  be  requested  to  furnish  a  copy  for  publi- 
cation. 


^.IDIDIRylESS. 


jjjAPiE-3  and  Gentlemen,  Friends  and  Comrades  : 

We  meet  to-night  to  re-light  oar  camp  fires,  to  fight  our  battles 
over  again,  to  renew  the  friendships  formed  in  the  hour  of  trial,  and 
for  the  still  nobler  purpose  of  perpetuating  the  high  deeds  and  sacred 
memories  of  our  fallen  comrades.  I  am  deeply  sensible  of  the  occasion, 
and  if  I  fall  below  its  just  demands,  you  will  doubtless  extend  to  me 
that  indulgence  which  is  always  given  to  sincere  effort  and  ear- 
nest purpose. 

I  speak  to-night  of  Fredericksburg.  I  shall  necessarily  repeat 
much  that  has  been  said  in  the  official  and  other  reports,  by  men  who 
were  on  the  spot  and  witnessed  what  they  wrote;  sometimes,  when  it 
suits  my  purpose  better,  using  the  identical  language. 

General  Joseph  E.  Johnson,  after  distinguished  services  at  Manassas, 
Williamsburg  and  Seven  Pines,  fell  painfully  wounded  at  Fair  Oaks, 
on  the  1st  day  of  June,  1862.  He  had  deservedly  secured  the  confi- 
dence and  affection  of  the  country,  as  well  as  of  his  own  soldiers,  and 
his  fall,  though  temporary,  cast  a  shadow  of  gloom  over  the  Confed- 
eracy. The  emergency  was  pressing — McClellanwas  by  degrees  ap- 
proaching Eichmond.  General  R.  E.  Lee,  by  an  order  of  the  Presi- 
dent, assumed  the  command  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia,  on 
the  3d  day  of  June,  1862.  The  battles  of  Mechanicsville,  of  the 
Chickahominy,  of  Savage  Station,  of  Frazier's  Farm  and  Malvern 
Hill,  had  been  fought,  and  Lee  and  Jackson,  and  the  Army  of 
Northern  Virginia,  had  become  immortal.  MeClellan,  with  an  army 
of  156,838  men — 115,102  of  which  were  efficient,  well  organized,  well 
equipped,  and  confident,  not  to  say  insolent,  had  been  hurled  back, 
broken  and  shattered,  to  take  shelter  under  their  gun  boats,  and 
Richmond,  the  devoted  capitol  ot  the  Confederacv,  around  which  so 
many  hearts  clustered,  invoking  upon  her  the  protection  of  the  pa- 
triot's God,  was  again  iree.  The  Confederates  did  not  number  more 
than  100,000  men.  The  theatre  of  war  was  changed  ;  Cedar  Run, 
second  Manassas,  and  Oxen  Hill,  had  shed  new  lustre  upon  Southern 
genius  and  Southern  valor.  The  Confederacy  was  again  triumphant, 
and  Pope,  with  headquarters  in  the  saddle,  had  been  driven  hopeless  and 
helpless  to  a  safe  refuge  under  the  very  walls  of  Washington,  never 
more,  so  far  as  I  am  advised,  to  meet  a  rebel  foe.  He  was  not 
wounded  ;  he  did  not  die ;  but  he  was  translated  to  look  after  the  In- 
dians on  the  plains. 

JJetween  the  25th  of  August,  and  the  2d  of  September,  1862,  the 
Confederates  had  lost,  between  the  Rappahannock  and  the  Potomac, 


9,112  men  in  killed,  wounded  and  missing,  including  Ewell,  Field, 
Taliaferro  and  Trimble,  seriously  wounded.  The  Federal  losses  were 
30,000  men,  8  generals  slain,  7,000  prisoners,  2,000  wounded  in  the 
hands  of  the  Confederates,  30  pieces  of  cannon,  more  than  20,000 
rifles,  many  ensigns,  and  an  immense  quantity  of  war  material  in  the 
hands  of  General  Lee,  without  estimating  the  vast  amount  destroyed 
by  Jackson  at  Manassas.  Again,  the  theatre  of  war  was  changed  ; 
Harpers  Ferry  was  captured,  Maryland  was  invaded,  and  Sharpsburg 
was  fought,  and  McClellan  claimed  the  victory,.  Is  the  claim  well 
founded  ?     We  are  content  with  the  facts. 

Lee  had  about  35,000  fighting  men,  and  of  this  number  the  troops 
of  Jackson,  MacLaws  and  Walker,  in  all  14,000  men  were  not  on  the 
ground  when  the  battle  commenced.  McClellan  had  about  87,000 
well  fed,  well  clothed,  and  well  equipped  men.  The  Confederate  loss 
was  8,790  killed  and  wounded.  The  Federal  loss  was  12,469  killed 
and  wounded,  and  among  them  13  general  officers.  McClellan  made  the 
attack  with  the  view  to  overwhelm  and  destroy  Lee's  army,  and 
was  repulsed.  On  the  night  of  the  17th  of  September,  1862, 
after  the  battle  was  ended,  the  Confederate  general  held  the  same 
position  that  he  had  in  the  morning.  On  the  18th  of  September,  his 
position  was  unchanged,  awaiting  a  renewal  of  the  attack.  McClellan 
dared  not  risk  another  encounter,  but  waited  for  re-inforcements. 
On  the  night  of  the  18th,  Lee  crossed  the  Potomac,  and  by  11  o'clock 
on  the  19th  of  September,  his  whole  army  was  in  Yirginia,  carrying 
with  him  all  the  provisions,  and  everything  of  value  obtained  in 
Maryland.  He  carried  with  him  also,  the  immense  fruits  resulting 
from  the  capture  of  Harpers  Ferry,  to  wit:  11,000  prisoners,  and  73 
cannons,  13,000  rifles  and  other  arms,  200  wagons  of  stores,  ammu- 
nition, &c. — our  loss  almost  nothing.  The  invasion  of  Maryland  was 
terminated.  Lee  was  checked  and  had  to  return  to  Virginia. 
McClellan  was  repulsed  all  along  the  line ;  35,255  men  held  their 
position  all  the  day  of  the  17th,  and  all  the  next  day,  against  87,000 
men,  and  McClellan  himself  confesses:  "  I  found  that  my  loss  had 
been  so  great,  and  there  was  so  much  disorganization  in  some  of  the 
commands,  that  I  did  not  consider  it  proper  to  renew  the  attack  the 
next  day."  McClellan  had  attacked  an  army  scarce  one-third  of  his 
own,  and  been  repulsed  with  a  loss  one-third  greater  than  his  ad- 
versary ;  if  such  was  a  victory  for  the  Northern  Army  let  them  enjoy 
it.  A  feeble  attempt  at  pursuit  was  made  by  Porter's  corps,  which 
had  been  held  in  reserve;  he  reached  the  river  after  the  Confederates 
had  crossed,  he  threw  a  large  force  across  the  river,  and  captured  four 
cannon,  but  he  was,  in  turn,  driven  back  by  Hill  into  the  river,  losing 
200  prisoners  and  sustaining  a  loss,  in  the  aggregate,  of  3,000  men 
against  a  Confederate  loss  of  261  men. 

Since  the  25th  of  June,  the  Army  of  Northern  Yirginia  had  marched 
over  280  miles,  often  without  shoes,  with  half  rations,  and  badly 
ciad;  had  fought  twelve  pitched  battles,  and  many  conflicts ;  had  met 
and  defeated  three  armies,  inflicting  upon  the  enemy  a  loss  of  76,000 


men,  of  whom  30,000  were  prisoners,  taking  155  guns,  70,000  rifles, 
and  taking  and  destroying  near  a  million  dollars  worth  of  war  ma- 
terial, provisions,  &c,  &c.  Lee  retired  with  his  brave  but  wearied 
men  to  "Winchester.  They  needed  clothes  and  shoes — they  required 
wholesome  food  and  enough  otit.  Such  an  exhibition  of  courage,  calm 
and  steady,  of  patriotism  that  burned  all  the  brighter  in  their  sacri- 
fices and  sufferings,  had  excited  the  admiration  of  Europe,  and  made 
a  page  in  the  world's  history  the  most  brilliant  and  the  most  honora- 
ble. They  thought  not  of  their  privations,  they  marched  and  fought, 
and  their  step  was  the  prouder  and  their  arms  the  stronger  and  their 
hearts  the  bolder  as  they  remembered  that  these  sacrifices  were  the 
price  to  be  paid  for  equal  rights  under  the  Constitution.  They  are 
now  in  the  far-famed  Valley  of  Virginia,  which  fed  both  armies,  but 
whose  people  were  so  true  to  their  South-land  that,  though  greatly 
impoverished,  always,  even  to  the  end,  cheerfully  divided  with  the 
Southern  soldier  what  they  had  left.  The  air  was  pure,  food  was 
abundant,  the  naked  were  clothed  and  shod,  and  the  rest  of  the  sol- 
dier was  sweet.  The  army  was  recruited  in  strength,  health,  hope, 
and  numbers. 

In  a  few  days  30,000  men  had  been  added  to  the  army  of  North- 
ern Virginia.  McClellan  was  in  front.  His  army,  too,  after  so  many 
severe  conflicts  and  losses,  needed  rest,  and  he  was  in  no  haste  to  be- 
gin again  hostilities.  But  McClellan  was  not  suffered  to  remain  long 
inactive.  Eichmond  must  be  destroyed,  and  he  was  forced  to  move 
in  that  direction.  On  October  6th,  McClellan  had  received  a  telegram 
from  Lincoln  embracing  the  following  order  :  "Cross  the  Potomac 
and  give  battle  to  the  enemy  or  drive  him  southward."  He  de- 
termined to  cross  thefPotomac  east  of  the  Blue  Pudge, and  place  him- 
self between  Lee  and  Richmond. 

On  the  26th  of  October  the  Federal  army  commenced  to  cross  the 
Potomac  at  Berlin,  five  miles  below  Harper's  Ferry,  and  by  the  2d  of 
November  the  entire  army  was  on  the  Southern  side.  Lee  was  still 
in  the  Shenandoah  Valley.  As  soon  as  he  learned  of  the  movement 
of  IVJcClellan,  he  at  once  divined  its  purpose,  broke  up  his  camp  on 
the  banks  of  .the  Opequan,  and  moved  on  a  parallell  line  with  the 
enemy.  A  division  from  Longstreet  was  sent  to  Upperville  to  be 
near  and  watch  the  movements  of  the  enemy.  Jackson  was  between 
Berryville  and  Charlestown,  to  guard  the  passes  of  the  mountain,  as 
well  as  the  route  to  Harper's  Ferry.  It  became  evident  by  the 
last  of  October  that  the  Federal  forces  were  marching  in  the  direc- 
tion of  Warrenton,  and  Lee  at  once  ordered  Longstreet  with  his  en- 
tire corps  to  Culpepper  Court  House,  which  he  reached  on  the  3d  of 
November.  Jackson  was  still  at  Mill  Wood,  but  sent  one  division 
east  of  the  Blue  Ridge.  The  Federals,  by  degrees,  were  concentrating 
at  Warrenton. 

This  was  the  position  of  the  two  armies,  and  while  Lee  was 
anxiously  and  carefully  watching  the  developments  of  the  com- 
ing  campaign,    a   sensation    was    produced    on    both    sides    of   the 


Potomac  by  the  recall  of  McClellan,  and  the  appointment  as  chief  in 
command  of  his  army  conferred  on  Burnside.  McClellan  was  the 
ablest  officer  that  ever  was  in  charge  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac — 
perhaps  the  ablest,  as  a  whole,  developed  by  the  war  on  the  Northern 
side,  with,  it  may  be,  one  exception,  Gen.  Thomas,  if,  indeed,  he  was  an 
exception  ;  on  this  point,  to  say  the  least,  intelligent  sentiment  is  much 
divided.  In  addition  to  his  ability  as  an  officer,  his  character  as  a  man 
was  unexceptionable.  He  fully  recognized  the  alleged  object  of  the 
war,  and,  in  the  prosecution  of  it,  he  was  high-toned,  honorable,  and 
humane.  When  asked  by  Mr.  Lincoln  his  views  as  to* the  conduct  of  the 
war  he  replied : 

"This  rebellion  has  assumed  the  character  of  a  war;  as  such  it 
should  be  regarded,  and  it  should  be  conducted  upon  the  highest 
principles  known  to  christian  civilization.  It  should  not  be  a  war 
looking  to  the  subjection  of  any  State  in  any  event,  it  should  not, be 
a*t  all  a  war  upon  population,  but  against  armed  forces  and  political 
organizations.  Neither  confiscations  of  property,  political  executions, 
territorial  organizations  of  States,  nor  forcible  abolition  of  slavery, 
should  be  contemplated  for  a  moment.  *  *  *  All  private  prop- 
erty and  unarmed  persons  should  be  strictly  protected,  subject  only 
to  the  necessity  of  military  operations.  All  private  property  taken 
for  military  uses  should  be  paid  or  receipted  for;  pillage  and  waste 
should  be  treated  as  high  crimes.  *  *  *  A  system  of  policy  like 
this,  and  pervaded  by  the  influences  of  Christianity  and  freedom  would 
receive  the  support  of  all  truly  loyal  men,  would  deeply  impress  the 
rebel  masses  and  all  foreign  states,  and  it  might  be  humbly  hoped 
commend  itself  to  the  favor  of  the  Almighty." 

Such  a  recognition  of  the  claims  of  humanity,  national  law  and 
religion,  to  say  nothing  of  the  constitution,  in  a  fierce  civil  war,  will 
be  handed  down  to  remote  generations,  as  worthy  of  all  honor,  shin- 
ing the  more  conspicuously  because  it  had  no  counterpart  among  the 
other  officers  of  the  United  States  in  all  that  war.  It  iound  a  counter- 
part in  the  uniform  conduct  of  General  Lee,  and  voiced  itself  in  the  gen- 
eral order  issued  by  him  to  regulate  the  conduct  of  his  troops  as  he  ad- 
vanced through  Maryland  into  Pennsj'lvaniatoGettysburg.  Hear  him! 
"The  commanding  general  considers  that  no  greater  disgrace  could  be- 
fall the  army,  and  through  it  our  whole  people,  than  the  perpetration 
of  the  barbarous  outrages  upon  the  innocent  and  defenceless,  and  the 
wanton  destruction  of  private  property  that  has  marked  the  course  of 
the  enemy  in  our  own  country.  Such  proceedings  not  only  disgrace 
the  perpetrators  and  all  connected  with  them,  but  is  subversive  of 
the  discipline  and  efficiency  of  the  army  and  destruction  of  the  ends 
of  our  present  movement.  It  must  be  remembered  that  we  make 
war  only  xvpon  armed  men,  and  that  we  cannot  take  vengeance  for  the 
wrongs  our  people  have  suffered  without  covering  ourselves  with  shame 
in  the  eyes  of  all  whose  abhor ance  has  been  excited  by  the  atrocities  of 
our  enemy,  and  offending  against  him  to  whom  vengeance  belongeth, 
without  whose  favor  and  support  our  efforts  must  all  prove  in  vain." 


These  two  men  had  written  their  names  high  and  indelibly  as 
warriors  on  the  roll  of  fame.  The  one,  McClellan,  on  his  side  had 
no  superior,  the  other,  General  Lee,  had  no  equal  on  either  side. 
They  now  add  to  their  well  earned  fame,  sentiments  worthy  of  the 
highest  humanity,  and  the  best  civilization  of  mankind.  McClelland 
was  removed.  "Words  such  as  these  awakened  no  response  in  the 
hearts  of  those  who  directed  the  war  at  Washington.  He  fell  a  vic- 
tim to  his  noble  sentiments,  and  the  petty  political  jealousies  and  per- 
sonal envy  of  his  own  administration. 

Lee's  sentiments  were  in  perfect  harmony  with  his  life.  He  was 
honored  more  each  day,  as  each  day  developed  some  new  feature  of 
greatness  and  goodness  which  excited  the  admiration  of  mankind, 
and  bound  to  him  in  ties,  that  death  could  not  sever,  the  personal 
affection  of  each  and  all  of  his  soldiers.  After  the  fights  around 
Richmond,  there  was  not  a  good  man  in  the  army  that  would  not 
have  gladly  put  in  jeopardy  his  own  life  to  preserve  that  of  his 
leader.  I  remember  well  the  effect  of  this  order  upon  the  army; 
they  knew  what  he  did  was  right,  but  I  am  sure  I  am  in  the  bounds 
bounds  of  truth  when  I  say  that  it  not  only  commanded  the  ap- 
proval, but  excited  the  pride  of  the  army,  and  there  was  not  one 
heart  that  did  not  inwardly  feel  that  he  was  as  good  as  he  was  great. 
It  was  obeyed  almost  literally;  each  man  felt  that  his  personal  honor 
and  the  good  name  of  Lee  and  his  country  were  involved  in  it,  and 
the  public  sentiment  of  the  army  frowned  down  any  effort  at  dis- 
obedience. 

But  in  contemplation  of  Lee  I  forget  myself  and  my  task.  I 
cannot  paint  the  portrait,  I  must  leave  that  to  other  and  better 
artists.  It  has  been  done  and  will  be  done  again.  I  have  seen  him 
in  the  storm  of  battle,  in  the  hour  of  victory,  when  a  nation  sung 
his  praises,  and  in  the  day  of  defeat,  when  no  man  blamed.  I  have 
seen  him  in  the  last  days  of  the  Confederacy  when  his  grand  army, 
the  victors  in  so  many  battles,  diminished  in  numbers,  despondent  in 
spirits  and  almost  without  hope,  was  in  a  steady  and  constant  process 
of  disintegration,  night  after  night,  hundreds  of  the  best  men  would 
desert  because  they  believed  the  cause  was  hopeless,  and  I  have  con- 
ferred with  him  as  to  the  remedy.  In  all  this  he  was  the  same  quiet 
dignified,  lofty,  imperturbable  self  sacrificing  soldier,  without  an 
enemy,  without  a  rival.  In  all  that  illustrious  army  of  Confederate 
officers — who  in  love  of  country  and  proud  ambition  carved  their 
names  in  deathless  deeds  upon  the  escutheon  of  the  Confederacy — 
there  was  not  one  that  envied  Lee,  not  one  that  would  have  detracted 
the  tithe  of  a  hair  from  his  fame.  Whoever  was  second  in  this  war, 
Robert  B.  Lee  was  and  is  and  ever  will  be,  by  universal  consent  of 
soldiers,  civilians  at  home  and  abroad,  without  a  peer. 

The  same  order,  as  we  have  seen,  that  removed  McClellan  ap- 
pointed Gen'l  Burnside  commander  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  He 
had  the  greatest  admiration  for  McClellan,  and  assumed  a  command 
which  he  had  before  declined  with  reluctance  and  distrust  of  his 
abilities.     He  was  a  good  man,  a  good  soldier,  but   without  genius. 


His  plan  of  the  coming  campaign,  in  his  own  language,  was  that  he 
would  march  upon  Richmond  via  Fredericksburg,  cross  the  river 
promptly,  and  take  possession  of  the  heights  south  of  Fredericks- 
burg, which  were  afterwards  held  by  the  Confederates,  before  Lee 
could  possibly  concentrate  his  forces  to  interfere  with  the  crossing, 
or  check  his  onward  march  after  he  crossed  to  Richmond.  He  was 
prevented  by  the  delay  in  his  pontoons  to  reach  him.  A  council  of 
war  was  then  held  as  to  where  the  army  should  cross.  It  was  first 
determined  to  cross  at  Skinker's  Neck,  about  twelve  miles  below 
Fredericksburg,  but  the  demonstration  in  that  direction  concentrated 
the  Confederate  forces  there,  and  that  was  abandoned ;  he  then  de- 
termined to  cross  at  Fredericksburg,  first,  as  he  said,  because  the 
enemy  did  not  expect  it — next,  because  he  felt  that  this  was  the 
place  to  fight  the  most  decisive  battle,  because  if  he  divided  their 
forces  by  piercing  their  line  at  one  or  two  points,  separating  the 
wings,  then  a  vigorous  attack  with  the  whole  army  would  break 
them  in  pieces.  This  plan  was  submitted  to  the  President  and  ap- 
proved by  him.  It  was  opposed  by  Halleck  at  first,  but  he  became 
acquiescent,  and  it  was  adopted. 

Sumner's  command  reached  Falmouth,  on  the  north  side  of  the 
river,  and  a  little  above  Fredericksburg,  on  the  17th  of  November, 
1862,  On  the  next  day  General  Franklin  placed  his  whole  com- 
mand at  Stafford  Court-house,  ten  miles  northeast  of  Fredericksburg, 
near  Acquia  Creek,  a  tributary  of  the  Potomac.  General  Hooker's 
command  was  concentrated  at  Hartwood,  about  ten  miles  northwest 
of  Fredericksburg,  on  the  19th.  The  cavalry  were  in  the  rear, 
covering  the  fords  of  the  Rappahannock  higher  up  the  stream.  On 
the  15th  of  November  Lee  sent  a  Mississippi  regiment  of  infantry 
and  Lewis'  light  battery  to  reinforce  the  small  garrison  at  Fred- 
ericksburg, consisting  at  that  time  of  the  Fifteenth  Virginia  Cavalry, 
under  Col.  Ball.  On  the  17th,  the  day  that  Sumner  arrived,  the  Con-, 
federate  chieftain,  ever  vigilant,  sent  Longstreet,  with  McLaws  and 
Ransom's  divisions  of  infantry,  W.  H.  F.  Lee's  cavalry,  and  Lane's 
rifle  battery,  to  the  town,  which  they  reached  on  the  20th  following. 
Up  to  this  time  everything  pointed  to  Fredericksburg  as  the  place 
for  the  concentration  of  the  Federal  troops ;  but  Lee,  anxious  to  re- 
move all  doubt,  and  to  make  no  mistake,  directed  Stewart  to  cross 
the  Rappahannock.  This  he  did,  in  the  face  of  the  enemy,  on  the 
morning  of  the  18th,  and  reached  Warrenton  just  after  the  departure 
of  the  enemy's  column. 

The  information  thus  gained  confirmed  all  the  previous  indica- 
tions that  General  Burnside  was  moving  on  Fredericksburg.  On  the 
morning  of  the  19th  the  remainder  of  Longstreet's  corps  marched 
for  that  point.  As  we  have  already  seen,  the  advance  of  Sumner 
reached  Falmouth  on  the  17th,  and  made  an  effort  to  cross  the  river, 
according  to  report,  of  General  Lee,  but  was  driven  back  by 
Colonel  Ball  with  the  Fifteenth  Virginia  Cavalry,  four  companies  of 
Mississippi  infantry,  and  Lewis'  Light  Battery.  This  is  denied  by 
Lossmg  in  a  note  to  his  history  of'  the  civil  war,  in  which  he  inti- 


9 

mates  that  General  Lee  intentionally  misrepresented  the  facts.  The 
point  is  not  very  material,  and  will  not  add  to  or  detract  much  from 
either  side.  The  mistake,  if  mistake  it  be,  is  sufficiently  explained 
in  the  attack  made  by  Sumner's  artillery  on  his  arrival  upon  the 
Confederates  on  the  south  side  of  the  river.  This  assault  was  made 
for  some  purpose,  and  it  is  not  easy  to  see  the  purpose,  unless  it  was 
in  accord  with  Burnside's  declared  plan  of  crossing  the  river  promptly 
and  taking  possession  of  the  hills  south  of  Fredericksburg  while  he 
was  able.  This  view  is  confirmed  by  the  facts,  as  conceded,  that 
Sumner  himself  wished  to  cross,  and  was  only  prevented,  as  is 
alleged,  by  the  order  of  Burnside.  It  does  not  definitely  appear,  as- 
suming he  had  such  an  order,  when  it  was  given,  whether  before  or 
after  his  attack.  If  before,  then  his  conduct,  if  not  in  disobedience 
of  the  spirit  of  the  order,  was  wanton  and  without  an  object ;  if  after, 
then  it  would  seem  he  was  preparing  to  cross  and  do  what  it  was 
understood  General  Burnside  expected  to  clo  ;  but  finding  more  troops 
and  a  more  vigorous  resistance  than  he  expected,  he  held  the  north 
bank  of  the  river  until  further  communication  with  the  command- 
ing general. 

A  correspondent  of  the  Philadelphia  Enquirer,  writing  from  Fal- 
mouth on  the  18th  of  November,  1862,  says  that  "five  Mississippi 
regiments  and  Major  Crutch  field's  rebel  cavalry  brigade,  it  is  re- 
ported on  good  authority,  are  here  to  dispute  our  crossing.'1  Again, 
he  says,  "the  rebels  on  yesterday  destroyed  a  scow  in  the  river  to 
prevent  our  crossing ;"  nor  does  he  anywhere  intimate  that  the  cross- 
ing was  delayed  for  a  moment.  All  these  circumstances  together 
justify  the  conclusion  that  the  Confederates  expected  them  to  cross, 
that  they  were  there  to  cross,  and  would  have  crossed  but  for  the 
vigorous  resistance  offered.  This  correspondent  of  the  Enquirer  evi- 
dently believed  it,  the  Confederate  commander  believed  it,  and 
doubtless  so  reported  it  to  General  Lee.  However  the  facts  may  be, 
'there  is  no  man  on  either  side  with  any  knowledge  of  the  history  of 
the  war  and  its  leaders  who,  with  a  proper  self-respect,  will  iutimate 
that  General  Lee  had  for  any  purpose  intentionally  uttered  an  un- 
truth.    (Page  198,  Rebellion  Record,  vol.  5,  1862-1863.) 

The  question  arises,  Why  did  not  Sumner  cross?  Lee  himself 
admits  that  he  could  not  prevent  it  finally,  except  at  too  great  a  sac- 
rifice, and  his  only  object  was  to  delay  it  until  his  troops  could  be 
concentrated.  That  concentration  must  take  place  on  the  heights 
south  of  Fredericksburg,  and  when  once  occupied  by  Lee's  whole 
force,  it  would  be  almost  impossible  to  dislodge  him.  Why,  then, 
did  not  General  Burnside  cross  when  it  was  practicable  and  seize 
these  heights?  The  question  is  more  easily  asked  than  answered, 
and,  I  imagine,  can't  be  answered  satisfactorily  upon  any  correct 
military  principle. 

Oh  the  21st,  Sumner  summoned  the  corporate  authorities  of  Fred- 
ericksburg to  surrender  by  5  p.  m.,  and  threatened,  in  case  of  refusal 


10 

to  bombard  the  city  at  9  o'clock  next  morning.  A  storm  was  raging 
at  the  time  of  the  summons.  The  same  correspondent  of  the  Phila- 
delphia Enquirer  says :  "  on  the  18th  very  few  men  are  to  be  seen  in 
the  city,  but  there  are  an  abundance  of  women  and  children,  and  that 
during  the  silencing  of  the  Confederate  batteries  on  the  17th,  the  ut- 
most consternation  prevailed  among  the  inhabitants.  The  children 
seemed  very  much  frightened."  ISTo  power  on  the  Confederate  side 
could  prevent  the  execution  of  Sumner's  threatened  bombardment ; 
the  city  was  exposed  to  the  guns  off  Stafford's  v  Heights,  and  these 
were  beyond  the  reach  of  the  Confederate  batteries.  General  Lee 
informed  the  city  authorities,  while  he  would  not  occupy  the  place 
for  military  purposes,  he  would  not  allow  the  enemy  to  do  so,  and 
directed  them  to  remove  the  women  and  children  as  rapidly  as  possi- 
ble. The  bombardment  did  not  take  place — it  is  to  be  regretted  that 
the  threat,  under  all  the  circumstances,  was  ever  made.  In  view  of 
the  threatened  collision  between  the  two  armies,  General  Lee  advised 
the  evacuation  of  the  city,  and  nearly  the  entire  population  left,  andr 
as  General  Lee  in  his  reports  says,  without  a  murmur.  This  was  but 
another  evidence  of  the  high  devotion  of  the  people  of.  the  South  to 
their  cause,  and  though  the  blows  fell  most  frequently,  and  the  loss 
more  heavily  upon  Virginia,  because  she  was  the  battle-ground,  yet 
all  the  States  showed  the  same  endurance  and  determination,  and  the 
people  everywhere  manifested  a  spirit  of  devotion  and  sacrifice  which 
said  to  the  world,  our  cause  is  holy,  and  its  objects  priceless.  I  wit- 
nessed, in  part,  the  evacuation  of  Fredericksburg;  I  know  something 
of  the  sufferings  and  heroism  of  that  devoted  people.  It  was  a  sad 
spectacle;  the  weather  was  inclement,  the  ground  was  frozen,  women 
and  children,  the  aged,  infirm,  sick  and  destitute,  without  food  and 
thinly  clad,  without  homes  or  shelter,  formed  in  the  mournful  pro- 
cession that  went  out  from  Fredericksburg;  to  seek  food  they  knew 
not  where,  to  find  shelter  nowhere  save  under  heaven's  canopy. 
Mothers  could  be  seen  with  one  child  at  the  breast,  while  others  fol- 
lowed, led  with  naked  feet  upon  the  frozen  ground.  Their  husbands, 
fathers,  brothers  and  sons  were  in  battle  array  and  could  not  help 
them.  It  was  a  sad,  sad  picture,  and  told  of  the  horrors  of  war,  and 
will  tell  to  the  latest  generation  what  the  Confederate  women  and 
non-combatants  did  and  were  ready  to  suffer  for  their  countr}^.  There 
were  no  murmurs,  no  protest,  but  many  a  God  bless  you,  from  suffer- 
ing and  pallid  lips,  greeted  the  soldiers  as  they  passed,  and  as  we 
well  knew,  many  a  silent  prayer  went  up  from  pious  hearts  to  the 
God  of  battles  to  protect  their  countrymen,  to  drive  back  the  ruthless 
invaders,  and  again  restore  their  husbands,  sons  and  brothers  to  their 
homes  and  loved  ones.  Such  women,  if  necessary  to  the  cause,  would 
themselves  have  lighted  the  brands  to  reduce  to  ashes  their  homes, 
and  the  brave  soldier  boys  who  witnessed  their  devotion,  then  and 
there  determined  to  hurl  back,  with  God's  blessing,  the  foe  or  die. 
That  prayer  was  answered  ;  thousands  of  the  enemy  bit  the  dust  to 
rise  no  more ;  thousands  lived  in  agony  and  pain,  and  the  remainder 
were  driven  back  weary,  wounded  and  sore,  to  the  shelter  of  their 


11 

guns  on  the  north  side  of  the  Rappahannock.  Wherever  patriotism 
is  honored,  and  heroism  admired,  let  this  be  told  in  memory  of  the 
women  of  Fredericksburg.  There  should  be  in  the  old  town,  on  the 
banks  of  the  Rappahannock,  a  plain  white  marble  monument  to  the 
memory  of  these  brave  women,  and  upon  this  let  there  be  inscribed, 
the  memorable  words  of  Lee  :  "  History  presents  no  instance  of  a 
people  exhibiting  a  purer  and  more  unselfish  patriotism  ;  they  cheer- 
fully incurred  great  hardship  and  privations,  and  surrendered  their 
homes  and  property  to  destruction,  rather  than  yield  them  into  the 
hands  of  their  enemies."  I  saw  Fredericksburg  afterwards;  the  city 
was  sacked  and  many  a  home  was  in  ashes;  some  of  these  women 
were  there,  and  as  they  sat  among  its  rums  as  it  were,  in  the  very 
ashes  of  their  desolation,  they  thanked  God  for  their  victory.  When 
Burnside's  army  first  began  to  move,  Jackson,  in  pursuance  of  his  in- 
structions, crossed  the  Blue  Ridge  and  placed  himself  near  Orange 
Court  House,  to  enable  him  more  promptly  to  co-operate  with  Long- 
street.  Lee  always  had  his  troops  well  in  hand,  and  seldom,  if  ever, 
made  a  mistake.  Sometimes  they  were  a  little  slow  in  their  move- 
ments, but  the  fault  was  not  his.  He  had  time,  place  and  circum- 
stances well  considered,  and  one  move  followed  another  as  effect  fol- 
lowed cause.  He  had  no  haphazard  campaigns,  no  accidents,  all 
was  methodically  and  regularly  done. 

It  has  been  said  that  the  distance  between  Longstreet,  at  Culpepper, 
and  Jackson,  in  the  valley,  was  too  great  and  that  McClellan  could 
have  crushed  either  one  or  the  other,  but  with  such  an  army  as  Lee 
had — always  greatly  inferior  in  numbers  to  the  adversary — he  was 
obliged  to  risk  much.  His  enterprise  and  success  under  disadvan- 
tages, showed  his  genius,  and  in  this  as  in  all  cases,  he  had  considered 
all  the  chances  and  made  the  right  provision,  and  hence,  Jackson 
was  at  the  right  spot  at  the  right  time.  Longstreet's  corps  was  on 
the  left.  The  range  of  hills  left  the  river  about  550  yards  above 
Fredericksburg;  Anderson's  division  rested  on  the  river,  and  those 
of  McLaws,  Hood  and  Pickett  on  his  right,  in  the  order  named. 
Ransom's  division  supported  the  batteries  on  Marye's,  Willis'  Hills, 
at  the  foot  of  which,  Cobb's  brigade  of  McLaws'  division,  and  the 
24th  N.  C.  of  Ransom's  brigade  were  stationed,  protected  by  a  stone 
wall.  The  immediate  care  of  this  part  of  line  was  committed  to 
Gen.  Ransom. 

The  Washington  artillery,  under  Col.  Walton,  were  posted  on  the 
crest  of  Marye's  hill,  and  the  heights  to  the  right  and  left  were  held 
by  part  of  the  reserve  artillery.  Col.  E.  P.  Alexander's  battalion 
and  the  division  batteries  of  Anderson,  Ransom  and  McLaws,  A.  P. 
Hill,  of  Jackson's  corps,  was  in  position  between  Hood's  right  and 
Hamilton's  crossing,  on  the  railroad.  The  brigades  of  Pender,  Lane 
and  Archer,  in  front  line,  occupied  the  edge  of  the  woods.  Lieuten- 
ant-Colonel Walker,  with  fourteen  pieces  of  artillery,  was  posted 
near  the  right,  supported  by  the  35th  and  40th  Virginia  regiments 
of  Field's  brigade,  under  Col.  Brockenbrough.  Lane's  brigade  was 
in  advance  of  the  generai  line,  and  held  the  woods  which  here  pro- 


12 

jected  into  the  open  ground.  Thomas'  brigade  was  stationed  behind, 
the  interval  between  Lane  and  Pender  and  Gregg  in  rear  of  that, 
between  Lane  and  Archer.  These  two  brigades,  with  the  47th  Vir- 
ginia regiment  and  22d  Virginia  battalion  of  Field's  brigade,  con- 
stituted Hill's  reserve.  Early  and  Talliaferro  composed  Jackson's 
second  line,  D.  H.  Kill  his  reserve.  His  artillery  was  posted  along 
the  line,  so  as  to  command  the  open  ground  in  front.  Gen.  Stewart, 
with  his  brigade  of  cavalry  and  his  horse  artillery,  occupied  the  plain 
on  Jackson's  right,  extending  to  Massaponax  creek. 

About  2  a.  m.,  on  the  11th  of  December,  the  Federals  commenced 
preparation   to   throw  their  bridges  across  the  river,  opposite  Fred- 
ericksburg, and  about  a  mile  and  a  quarter  below  the  mouth  of  Deep 
Eun.    For  sixteen  hours  Barksdale,  with  two  Mississippi  regiments,  17 
and  18,  assisted  by  the  8th  Florida  of  Anderson's  division,  repelled 
all   efforts  of  Burnside  to  lay  his  bridges;  two  northern  regiments 
were  reported  to  have  lost,  in  the  effort,  150  men;  in  a  few  minutes 
150  pieces  of  artillery  opened  upon  the  town;  this  did  not  drive  the 
brave  Mississippians  from   their  positions  nor  accomplish  their  pur- 
pose of  laying  the  bridges.     The  bombardment  was  unnecessary  and 
useless.     Barksdale  was   finally  withdrawn  at  the  proper  time,  and 
three  regiments  were  thrown  across  into  the  town,  and  the  bridges 
were  laid.     On  the  11th  of  December  the  entire  army  had  crossed 
except  Hooker's  5th  corps.     Lee  was  in  a  strong  position  on  a  ridge 
that  ran  from   the  river,  diminishing  in  height  to  near  Hamilton's 
crossing,  and  there  held  the  wooded  heights  in  front  of  the  railroad. 
On  the  morning  of  the  13th  the  two  armies  confronted  each  other;  a 
heavy  fog  enveloped  the  field;  neither  army  was  visible  to  the  other; 
a  hemisphere   hung  in  breathless  suspense  upon  the  result;  on  the 
one  side  it  was  a  war  of  conquest  for  the  sake,  as  was  alleged,  of  the 
Union;  on  the  other  it  was  a  war  in   defence   of  homes,  altars  and 
firesides,  in  defence   of  the  constitution,  the  keystone  of  the  Union, 
which  guaranteed  the  equality  of  States  and  the  protection  of  private 
property. 

On  the  Federal  side,  according  to  their  own  estimate,  there  were 
118,000  men  who  answered  at  roll-call  on  the  morning  of  the  13th  of 
December  as  present  for  duty.  On  the  southern  side  the  whole  force, 
according  to  the  most  reliable  statements,  did  not  exceed  78,228 
men.  On  the  left,  Gen.  Franklin  had  under  him  more  than  half  of 
Burnside's  entire  army.  On  the  right,  at  and  near  Fredericksburg, 
Gen.  Sumner  had  the  remainder,  except  Hooker's  5th  corps,  which 
was  held  in  reserve  on  the  north  bank  of  the  river  to  support  the 
right  or  left,  and  to  press  in  case  either  command  succeeded.  Not- 
withstanding the  advantages  of  position  on  the  side  of  the  south,  the 
great  disparity  of  forces  in  favor  of  the  north  made  the  conflict 
doubtful.  Gen.  Lee,  in  view  of  this,  had  authorized  all* the  archives 
and  valuables  at  Richmond  of  the  Confederacy  to  be  packed  and  in 
readiness  for  removal.  The  sun,  as  it  were,  veiled  its  face  as  if  to 
shut  out  the  slaughter  and  carnage  which  was  soon  to  commence 
between  brethren  of  the  same  race  and  the  same  country.     The  bat- 


13 

teries  from  Stafford's  Heights  early  in  the  day  opened  on  Long- 
street's  position.  About  nine  o'clock,  or  a  little  after,  the  fog  partly 
lifted  in  the  valley,  and  dense  masses  are  seen  moving  in  line  of 
battle  against  A.  P.  Hill,  of  Jackson's  corps.  This  force,  under 
Meade,  consisted  of  his  division,  Gibbons  on  his  right  with  Double- 
dav  in  reserve.  The  young  and  gallant  Pelham,  of  Stuart's  horse 
artillery,  with  one  section  opened  an  enfilade  fire  upon  the  line  which 
arrested  its  progress.  Four  batteries  were  turned  upon  him  besides 
two  others  from  Stafford's  hills.  For  hours  not  less  than  thirty 
Federal  cannon  strove  to  silence  him,  but  strove  in  vain.  Never 
before  was  his  skill  and  daring  more  conspicuous  than  to-day.  Gen. 
Lee  exclaimed,  "it  is  inspiring  to  see  such  glorious  courage  in  one 
so  young." 

General  Jackson  said  with  a  Pelham  on  either  flank,  I  could  van- 
quish the  world.  He  afterwards  gave  up  his  young  life  at  the  battle 
of  Kellysville,  near  Culpepper  Court  House,  at  the  age  of  22,  then  in 
command  of  all  the  horse  artillery.  No  more  need  be  said.  Lee  and 
Jackson  have  written  his  history,  and  it  lives  forever.  He  was  with- 
drawn by  Stuart.  The  enemy  extended  his  left  down  the  Port  Eoyal 
road,  and  all  his  butteries  with  vigor  opened  upon  Jackson's  line, 
eliciting  no  response.  Meade  with  his  infantry  moved  forward, 
joined  battle  all  along  the  line,  and  attempted  to  seize  position  occu- 
pied by  Lt-Col.  Walker.  Walker  reserved  his  fire  until  they  had  ap- 
proached within  less  than  800  yards,  and  then  opened  fire  with 
such  destructive  effect  as  to  cause  them  to  break  and  retreat  in  con- 
fusion. At  1  o'clock,  p.  m.,  the  main  attack  on  the  right  was  made 
by  a  heavy  cannoade,  under  cover  of  which  three  compact  lines  of 
infantry  advanced  against  Hill's  front.  Archer  and  Lane  received  this 
attack.  The  work  w  as  fierce  and  bloody,  and  the  portion  of  the 
enemy's  line  in  their  front  met  a  bloody  repulse,  but  by  some  mis- 
chance, which  has  never  been  explained,  there  was  an  interval  of  about 
600  yards  between  the  right  of  Lane  and  the  left  of  Archer.  When 
Lane  was  assigned  his  position,  which  was  some  distance  in  front  of 
Gen.  Hill's  first  line,  as  occupied  by  Pender's  brigade,  and  in  front  of 
several  batteries,  he  soon  discovered  this  interval,  and  knowing  its 
danger,  used  his  best  efforts  to  have  it  closed,  but  in  the  confusion  of 
the  coming  battle,  it  was  omitted.  The  enemy,  with  nine  regiments, 
pierced  this  interval  to  Lane's  right,  while  a  heavy  force  advanced  to 
attack  in  his  front.  Thus  assaulted  in  from  and  in  flank,  this  gallant 
brigade  of  North  Carolinians  nobly  maintained  their  ground,  until  the 
two  regiments  28th  and  37tb,  had  not  only  exhausted  their  ammuni- 
tion, but  such  as  could  be  obtained  from  their  dead  and  wounded 
comrades,  collected  and  handed  them  by  their  officers;  when  these 
two  regiments  had  ceased  firing  for  want  of  ammunition,  the  enemy 
in  column  doubled  on  the  center,  bore  clown  in  mass  upon  the  brigade 
and  it  was  forced  to  fall  back,  but  did  so  in  good  order.  Gen.  Thomas 
with  his  gallant  Georgia  brigade  came  to  Lane's  assistance,  and  with 
the  aid  of  the  18th  and  7th  regiments  of  Lane's  on  his  left  drove  back 
the  enemy  and  chased  him  to  his  original  position.     It  has  been  said 


14 

that  this  temporary  success  of  the  enemy  was  induced  03^  the  giving 
away  in  Lane's  brigade  of  a  regiment  of  North  Carolina  conscripts. 
This  is  untrue.  There  were  no  conscript  regiments  as  such,  and  no 
troops  could  have  behaved  more  gallantly,  under  the  circumstances 
than  those  attached  to  these  regiments;  Gen.  Lee  recognizes  their 
gallantry  in  his  report,  when  he  says  that  attacked  in  front  and  flank, 
after  a  brave  and  obstinate  resistance,  the  brigade  gave  way.  Gen. 
Lane  says,  of  his  conscripts,  "I  cannot  refrain  from  making  special  allu- 
sion to  our  conscripts,  many  of  whom  were  under  fire  for  the  first  time. 
They  proved  themselves  v\  orthy  of  a  brigade  that  had  borne  itself  well 
in  all  the  battles  of  the  last  eight  months,  from  Fredericksburg  to 
Petersburg."  In  the  meantime  a  large  force  had  penetrated  the  in- 
terval as  far  as  Hill's  reserve,  and  encountered  Gregg's  brigade.  The 
attack  was  sudden  and  unexpected,  and  mistaking  the  enemy  for  our 
own  troops,  Orr's  rifles  of  this  brigade  were  thrown  into  momentary 
confusion,  and  Gen.  Gregg,  while  attempting  to  rally  them,  fell  mort- 
ally wounded. 

Hon.  Wm.  C.  Oates,  3d  Alabama  District,  then  a  captain,  after- 
wards a  colonel  of  the  15th  Alabama,  which,  with  the  12th  and.  21st 
Georgia  and  21st  North  Carolina,  formed  Trimble's  brigade,  then 
commanded  by  Col.  Eobt.  F.  Hoke,  told  me  that  when' this  brigade, 
the  22d  and  47th  Virginia  regiments  of  Col.  Brockenborough's  com- 
mand, and  two  others,  Lawton,  under  Atkinson,  and  Early  under 
Walker,  all  of  Early's  division  rushed  with  a  yell  upon  the  enemy,  as 
they  advanced  he  saw  Gen.  Gregg,  and  as  they  swept  by  him,  driving 
the  enemy  before  them,  the  old  hero,  unable  to  speak,  unable  to 
stand  alone,  raised  himself  to  his  full  height  by  a  small  tree,  and, 
with  cap  in  hand,  waived  them  forward.  It  seemed  that  he  had 
heard  them  as  he  lay  mortally  wounded  and  speechless,  and  as  the 
fires  of  his  patriotism  dying  out  with  the  wasting  energies  of  life  were 
rekindled  by  the  shouts  of  his  comrades,  he  raised  himself,  cheered 
them  on  and  died.  Wolf,  when  told,  as  he  lay  wounded  and  dying, 
that  the  enemy  fled,  said,  "  I  die  contented."  Gregg,  with  the  rebel 
shout  in  his  ears,  which  told  him  that  a  disaster  had  been  converted 
into  a  victory,  died  in  exultation. 

This  brigade,  led  by  the  dashing  Hoke, seconded  by  the  gallant  Oats, 
who  afterwards  lost  his  arm  before  Richmond,  swept  everything  be- 
fore them,  and  as  the  Federals  ran  and  massed  in  front  of  the  21st 
N.  C,  the  "Tar  Heels,"  says  Col.  Oats,  mowed  them  clown  in  files, 
and  that  charge  made  Hoke  brigadier  general,  though  it  nearly  cost 
him  his  life.  His  horse  was  stricken  down  by  a  shell,  this  threw  Hoke, 
leaving  o;je  foot  in  the  stirrup.  The  horse  recovered  and  ran,  drag- 
ging him  some  distance,  until  he  was  rescued  by  Col.  Oats  and  his 
men. 

Gregg's  brigade,  consisting  of  four  regiments  and  one  company  of 
rifles,  were  under  Col.  Hamilton,  and  joined  in  the  repulse  of 
the  enemy.  Lawton's  brigade,  under  Col.  Atkinson,  first  encoun- 
tered the  enemy,  followed  on  the  right  and  left  by  Trimble  and  Moke 
and  Earlv  under  Col.  Walker.  Talliofero's  division  moved  forward  at 


15 

the  same  time  on  Early's  left,  and  his  right  regiment,  the  2d  Ya., 
belonging  to  Paxton's  brigade,  joined  in  the  attack.  The  enemy  was 
pressed  back  to  the  line  of  the  railroad  embankment.  They  were 
here  reinforced  by  Gibbons  and  Doubleday,  but  Hoke  and  Atkinson 
charged  again  and  drove  them  back  across  the  plains  to  their  guns, 
inflicting  great  slaughter  and  capturing  many  prisoners.  In  this 
charge  Col.  Atkinson  was  severely  wounded,  and  Capt.  Lawton,  the 
brigade  adjutant,  mortally  wounded  while  gallantly  leading  his  bri- 
gade. The  attack  on  Hill's  left  was  repulsed  by  the  artillery  on  that 
part  of  the  line  which,  in  its  turn,  was  assaulted  by  a  furious  can- 
nonade from  24  guns.  One  brigade  of  the  enemy  moved  up  Deep 
Eun,  sheltered  by  its  banks  from  our  batteries,  and  surprised  the 
flank  of  Pinder's  picket  line,  capturing  an  officer  and  15  men  of  the 
16th  North  Carolina  regiment,  but  it  was  charged  by  the  16th  N. 
C,  of  Pender's  brigade,  under  the  gallant  Col.  McElroy,  57th  1ST.  C, 
under  Col.  Godwin,  and  51th  IST.  C,  under  Col.  McDowell,  of  Hood's 
division,  and  driven  back,  the  57th  leading  and  the  others  following 
in  support.  These  two  last  regiments  were  under  fire  for  the  first 
time.  The  repulse  on  the  right  was  decisive,  and  was  not  renewed, 
but  the  batteries  and  the  sharpshooters  kept  up  a  brisk  firing  at  inter- 
vals during  the  whole  evening.  Pender's  brigade  was  placed  in  po- 
sition on  Friday  morning  early,  on  the  extreme  left  of  the  division, 
where  they  had  no  shelter,  not  a  log,  or  a  tree,  or  an  embankment, 
from  the  artillery  of  the  enemy.  Friday  was  taken  up  by  skirmish- 
ing, and  now  and  then  a  slight  artillery  duel. 

There  is  no  severer  test  of  the  metal  of  troops  than  to  be  placed 
thus  under  a  hot  and  deadly  fire  without  protection  and  in  a  state  of 
inaction.  On  Saturday,  from  early  morn  until  late  in  the  evening, 
this  brigade  had  been  exposed  to  a  most  destructive  fire  of  shell, 
solid  shot,  and  musketry.  The  artillery  fire,  at  many  times  during 
the  day,  exceeded  anything  I  ever  saw,  unless,  perhaps,  at  Malvern 
Hill  and  Gettysburg ;  a  spectator  of  the  scene  has,  in  words  beyond 
my  power,  described  it :  '"Such  a  scene  at  once  terrific  and  sublime, 
mortal  eye  never  rested  upon  before^  unless  it  be  the  bombardment  of 
Sebastopol  by  the  combined  batteries  of  France  and  England;  never 
was  there  a  more  fearful  manifestation  of  the  hate  and  fury  of  man. 
The  roar  of  hundreds  of  pieces  of  artillery,  the  bright  jets  of  issuing 
flame,  the  screaming,  hissing,  shrieking  projectiles,  the  wreaths  of 
smoke  as  shell  after  shell  burst  into  the  still  air,  the  savage  crash  of 
shattered  forest,  formed  a  scene  likely  to  sink  forever  into  the  mem- 
ory of  all  who  witnessed  ii,  but  utterly  defying  verbal  delineation.  A 
direct  and  infakling  fire  swept  each  battery  upon  either  side,  as  it 
was  unmasked  volley  replied  to  volley,  crash  succeeded  crash  until  the 
eye  lost  all  power  of  distinguishing  the  lines  of  combatants,  and  the 
plain  seemed  a  lake  of  fire,  a  seething  lake  of  molten  lead  covered 
■over  by  incarnate  fiends  drunk  with  fury  and  revenge."  Solid  shot, 
partly  spent,  rolled  in  our  front  and  across  the  line,  to  our  rear  in 
great  numbers,  reminding  one  of  the  incessant  action  of  balls  on  a 
billiard  table  when'  handled  by  a  skillful  player.     Added  to  this  was 


16 

the  incessant  annoyance  from  the  enemy's  skirmishers.  Pender  sent 
out  a  few  companies  under  Captain  Cole  to  drive  them  back,  and 
protect  the  batteries,  which  he  did  with  great  gallantry.  Daring  the 
evening  General  Pender  was  wounded  by  a  spent  ball,  and  was  forced 
to  retire  to  the  hospital;  the  command  of  thebrigade  devolved  upon  me 
in  his  abscence,  and  that  of  the  regiment  upon  Colonel  Jesoph  Hy- 
rnan;  but  he  returned  as  soon  as  his  wounds  were  dressed,  and  at  his 
request  I  aided  him  in  command  of  the  brigade  during  the  balance  of 
the  day.  During  the  evening  Lieutenant  Sheppard,  the  aid  of  Pender, 
was- killed  while  gallantly  endeavoring  to  rally  some  troops,  not  our 
own,  on  our  right  (who  had  broken).  A  son  of  the  Hon.  A.  H.  Shep- 
pard, for  many  years  a  distinguished  member  of  Congress  from  North 
Carolina;  his  death  was  worthy  of  his  parentage,  worthy  of  a  soldier, 
and  worthy  of  the  cause.  General  Pender  was  a  West  Point  graduate, 
was  among  the  first  to  resign  after  the  secession  of  North  Carolina, 
and  offered  his  services  to  his  State.  He  was  very  soon  made  Colonel 
of  the  3rd,  afterwards  known  as  the  13th  North  Carolina,  regiment. 
He  was  a  werj  young  man  and  yet  had  under  him  prominent  and 
influential  civilians,  who  were  used  to  command  and  unused  to  obey, 
and  restive  and  rebellious  against  military  rule,  and  yet  in  two  months 
or  less  time,  he  had  of  it  one  of  the  best  drilled,  best  disciplined  and 
most  efficient  regiments  of  the  service.  Such  merit  could  notbe  long 
concealed,  and  he  was  soon  promoted  to  the  colonelcy  of  a  war  regi- 
ment, and  went  immediately  into  active  service  in  the  field.  He  was 
promoted  for  gallantry  and  skill  on  the  field  to  brigadier,  and  then 
to  a  major-general  in  less  time  than  twelve  months.  His  last  pro- 
motion was  at  the  battle  of  Chancellorville.  He  was  wounded  at 
Gettysburg,  by  the  cap  of  a  shell,  in  the  thigh.  We  went  to  Staunton 
together,  both  wounded,  in  his  ambulance  ;  he  suffered  intensely  on 
the  way.  We  parted  at  Staunton  to  meet  no  more.  His  physician 
advised  amputation;  he  sunk  under  the  operation,  and  died,  and  thus 
fell  one  of  the  brightest,  if  not  the  most  promising  young  officer  of 
the  Confederate  Army.  He  was  young  and  handsome,  brave  and 
skillful,  prompt  to  decide  and  yet  when  decided,  more  prompt  to 
execute.  He  was  known,  admired  and  trusted  by  his  superior 
officers,  beyond  any  of  his  age  in  the  service;  he  was  adored  by  his 
troops,  and  next  to  Jackson,  there  was  perhaps  no  greater  loss  to  the- 
Army  of  Northern  Virginia.  The  higher  his  promotion,  the  better 
fitted  he  seemed  for  his  position;  he  was  my  comrade,  my  commander, 
my  intimate  personal  friend.  I  must  even  here  pause  to  render  this 
feeble  tribute  to  his  memory  and  drop  a  tear  on  his  untimely  death. 
As  we  have  already  shown  Longstreet's  corps  occupied  the  left  of 
the  Confederate  line  in  the  order  mentioned.  About  11  o'clock  a.  m., 
French,  having  massed  his  troops  under  cover  of  the  houses  in  Fred- 
ericksburg, moved  forward  to  seize  Marye's  and  Willis'  Heights. 
General  Ransom,  who  was  in  immediate  charge  of  this  part  of  these 
hills,  ordered  Cooke's  North  Carolina  brigade  to  occupy  the  crest, 
which  they  did  in  fine  style.  He  placed  his  own,  except  the  24th  North 
Carolina,  a  short  distance  in  the  rear.     The  24th  North  Carolina  was 


17 

in  the  diteh  on  the  left,  and  on  a  prolongation  of  line  occupied  by 
Cobb's  brigade,  which  occupied  the  telegraph  road  in  front  of  the 
crests  protected  by  a  stone  wall.  The  artillery  on  Staffords  Heights 
opened  apon  our  batteries  to  protect  the  advance  of  their  infantry. 
Our  batteries  could  not  reach  them  efficiently,  and  therefore  were 
directed  solely  against  the  heavy  lines  of  infantry  as  they  advanced 
to  the  attack.  They  were  driven  back  with  great  slaughter  by  the 
Washington  artillery,  and  a  well  directed  fire  from  Cobb's  and  Cook's 
brigades.  Their  loss  was  scarcely  less  than  fifty  per  cent.  Hancock, 
with  his  division  resumed  the  attack  and  was  driven  back  with  a  loss 
of  2,013  out  of  5,600  men,  in  the  wildest  confusion,  by  the  same  bri- 
gades. In  this  attack  two  regiments  of  Cook's  brigade,  the  46th  under 
Colonel  Hall,  and  the  27th,  were  badly  exposed  and  suffered  much  as 
they  were  thrown  into  the  road  on  a  prolongation  of  Cobb's  brigade, 
without  rifle  pits  or  any  protection. 

According  to  General  Eansom,  it  was  in  this  third  assault  that 
General  Thomas  R.  Cobb,  a  distinguished  civilian,  statesman  and  sol- 
dier,  was  killed  at  the  head  of  his  troops,  and  at  the  same  instant 
Brigadier-General  Cooke  was  seriously  wounded  and  taken  from  the 
field.      Upon   the   death   of  General   Cobb,   which   was    universally 

1  lamented  throughout  the  Confederacy,  General  Kershaw  was  ordered 
to  re-inforce  General  Eansom,  which  he  did  with  two  regiments,  2nd 
South  Carolina,  Colonel  Kennedy,  and  85th  Calvary,  Captain  Stark- 

„  house,  numbering  about  700  men,  and  took  command  of  the  position 
in  the  telegraph  road.  Again,  did  the  troops  under  Sturgis  and 
Getty,  of  the  9th  Corps,  renew  the  assault ;  but  with  the  fresh 
troops  by  which  Ransom  had  been  re-inforced,  they  were  literally, 
says  General  Ransom,  swept  from  the  earth.  The  enemy,  still  not 
satisfied,  with  a  pluck  and  desperation  worthy  of  a  better  fate,  gathered 
up  the  scattered  fragments  of  the  five  divisions  that  had,  each  in  his 
turn,  been  repulsed,  made  yet  another  assault;  this,  too,  like  all  the 
others,  melted  away  before  the  pitiless  storm  of  musketry  and  artil- 
lery, which  poured  out  its  fury  from  the  stone  wall  and  the  crest  of 
Marye's  Heights. 

Kemper  was  ordered  to  report  to  General  Ransom,  and  re-inforced 
him  with  two  of  his  regiments,  including  the  24th  North  Carolina. 
The  Washington  Artillery,  under  Colonel  Walton,  who  had  done 
splendid  service  and  suffered  much,  was  here  relieved  by  a  portion  of 
Alexander's  Battalion.  Burnside,  receiving  the  particulars  of  this  last 
repulse,  ordered  General  Hooker  to  cross  the  river  with  the  5th  corps 
which  had  been,  up  to  this  time,  in  reserve,  and  "  take  the  crest." 
Night  approached ;  Hooker  had  learned  the  result  of  all  the  assaults 
so  far,  and  endeavored  to  dissuade  Burnside  from  it ;  but  he  was  now 
desperate  and  obstinate,  and  insisted  upon  the  order.  Humphrey's 
division  was  selected  for  the  sacrifice,  and  as  a  preparation  for  the  ad- 
vance a  heavy  cannonade  was  ordered  upon  our  lines,  and  continued 
with  great  fury  until  after  sundown.  The  division  then  moved  forward,, 
apparently  relying  upon  the  bayonet ;  but  why  waste  words?  It  did 
3s 


18 

not  get  within  bayonet  distance,  probably  not  more  than  80  or  100 
yards;  the  repulse  was  overwhelming;  out  of  4,000  men  they  lost 
1,700. 

Here  fought  Eansom,  Cooke,  Kershaw,  Cobb,  Kemper,  Colonel 
Alexander,  Colonel  Walton,  North  Carolina,  South  Carolina,  Georgia, 
Virginia  and  Louisiana.  They  stood  side  by  side,  supported  and 
sustained  by  each  other.  There  were  no  laggards,  no  stragglers ; 
every  man  was  in  his  place,  and  every  man  a  soldier  ;  and  what  was 
said  of  one  State  may  be  said  of  all  who  fought  on  the  right  or  left 
On  that  memorable  day.  Six  times  did  the  foe,  with  great  heroism, 
rush  to  the  assault  within  100  yards  of  the  foot  of  the  heights,  and 
six  times  were  they  repulsed  with  bloody  slaughter.  If  the  battle 
raged  furiously  on  our  right,  it  was  still  more  terrific  and  bloody  on 
our  left.  The  women  and  children  of  Fredericskburg,  with  all  their 
sufferings,  were  terribly  avenged,  and  the  enemy  sorely  punished. 
On  the  14th  the  Confederate  troops  were  in  line  ready  for  the  attack, 
which  everything  indicated  would  be  renewed. 

The  federals  were  also  in  line,  but  nothing  was  done  during  the 
day,  save  a  fire  at  intervals  from  Stafford's  hills  on  the  Southern  lines. 
The  15th  passed  in  the  same  way.  On  the  night  of  the  15th  a  storm 
of  wind  and  rain  raged  most  furiously;  under  cover  of  this,  Burnside 
returned  to  the  North  side  of  the  Eappahannock,  and  the  battle  was 
over.  118,000  Federal  soldiers  under  fire  had  been  actually  engaged 
with  the  vast  artillery  on  both  sides  of  the  river,  except  a  part  that 
could  not  be  used,  which  was  left  in  the  streets  of  Fredericksburg. 
Lee  had  an  army  of  78,000  (according  to  Palfrey  and  Pres.  Davis)  of 
which  only  about  20,000  were  engaged.  The  federals  lost  13,77 1  in  killed 
and  wounded  and  prisoners,  9,000  stand  of  arms  and  a  large  quantity 
of  ammunition  which  had  been  left  in  Fredericksburg.  Gen.  Lee, 
says  of  Cobb  and  Gregg,  "we  have  again  to  deplore  the  loss  of  two  of 
the  noblest  citizens,  and  the  army  of  two  of  its  bravest  and  most  dis- 
tinguished soldiers."  Gen.  Burnside  testified  before  the  committee  on, 
the  conduct  of  the  war,  that  all  of  his  men  were  under  artillery  fire, 
and  about  half  of  them  at  different  times  were  formed  into  columns 
of  attack.  His  reply  to  the  question  as  to  the  cause  of  his  failure  was: 
"It  was  found  impossible  to  get  the  men  to  the  works.  The  enemy's 
fire  was  toohot  for  them."  Gen.  Franklin,  August  19,  1862,  before  the 
Senate  committee  said,  "I  fought  the  whole  strength  of  my  command 
asfaras  possibleand  at  the  same  time  keep  open  my  connection  with  the 
river."  This  battle  wag  as  fatal  to  the  highest  officers  in  command,  as 
it  had  been  to  the  common  soldier.  Franklin  was  relieved  because 
he  could  not  perform  impossibilities.  Sumner,  from  disgust,  resigned 
and  died  soon  afterwards  at  the  age  of  72,  and  Burnside,  in  a  short  time 
had  to  give  way  to  Hooker,  and  resigned.  Hooker  was  in  his  turn, 
destroyed  and  forced  to  resign  after  the  next  fight.  The  rage  and  dis- 
appointment at  the  North  knew  no  bounds;  it  gave  way  after  some 
days  to  the  consoling  thought  that  Burnside,  under  cover  of  the  storm 
had  escaped  north  side  of  the  river,  and  was  not  annihilated.     In  the 


19 

South  there  was  unusual  satisfaction,  that  so  much  had  been  done, 
tinged  with  a  color  of  disappointment  that  the  victory  had  not  been 
more  fruitful. 

On  the  eve  of  the  memorable  13th,  as  heretofore  mentioned, 
just  before  dusk,  I  was  with  Gen.  Pender,  at  his  request,  assisting  in  the 
command  of  his  brigade.  The  firing  had  ceased,  the  work  of  the  day, 
whether  good  or  bad  had  been  done.  The  soldiers  were  eating  their 
evening  meal  in  contemplation  of  rest  and  sleep  so  necessary  and 
sweet  to  the  soldier,  after  two  days  of  intense  excitement  and  watch- 
fulness, exposure  and  severe  conflict.  A  courier  rode  up  and  handed 
to  Gen.  Pender  an  order  from  Gen.  Jackson  through  A.  P.  Hill.  He 
read  and  re-read  it,  with  a  grave  and  anxious  face,  and  handed  it  to 
me.  It  was  in  substance  to  hold  his  brigade  in  readiness  to  advance 
at  near  dusk,  (naming  the  hour),  in  connection  with  the  whole  line 
upon  the  enemy.  This  order  was  issued,  and  though  there  was  some 
disappointment  manifested,  there  was  no  grumbling  among  the  troops, 
but  all  prepared  with  alacrity  for  the  movement.  Pender  and  I  dis- 
cussed the  order, — he  in  the  light  of  his  milita^  education,  and  I  in 
the  light  of  its  common  sense  and  practicability.  We  both  agreed 
that  the  order  was  injudicious  and  hazardous.  In  an  hour  it  was 
countermanded  and  we  slept.  It  has  been  said  time  and  again,  that 
such  a  movement  on  the  night  of  the  13th  or  on  the  14th  should  have 
been  made,  This  is  not  justified  by  the  facts  or  circumstances  in  the 
case.  Lee  had  but  one  army  and  if  lost  could  not  be  replaced  ;  a  night 
attack  wat,  most  hazardous ;  confusion  and  uncertainty  would  inevi- 
tably attend  it,  and  the  result  might  be  disastrous.  What  had  been 
done,  had  been  done  at  so  little  loss  to  us,  that  we  cnuld  form  no  idea  of 
the  damage,  immense  though  it  was  to  the  enemy.  There  were  at  least 
in  our  front  100,000  men,  and  at  least  200  pieces  of  artillery,  and  most 
of  them  on  Stafford's  heights  on  the  North  side  of  the  river  beyond 
the  reach  of  our  guns.  We  did  not  know  that  so  many  of  their  troops 
had  been  actually  engaged  or  the  extent  of  their  demoralization. 
The  Federal  government  had  determined  upon  a  vigorous  campaign 
against  Richmond.  There  was  murmuring  by  reason  of  the  many 
disastrous  failures,  and  their  people  demanded  it.  To  this  end  Mc- 
Clellan,  who  was  regarded  as  too  slow,  was  removed  and  Burnside 
substituted.  These  facts,  together  with  many  other  circumstances 
indicated  that  the  onward  movement  would  not  be  abandoned,  and 
that  the  attack  would  be  renewed.  Lee's  position  was  almost  impreg- 
nable, an  assault  by  the  Federals  on  the  14th,  similar  to  the  one  of 
the  loth  promised  well  for  the  destruction  of  their  army  with  com- 
paratively little  damage  to  us.  Gen.  Lee  wisely  determined  to  await 
further  developments.  On  the  night  of  the  13th,  General  Longstreet's 
line  was  strengthened  by  works  and  re-inforced  by  troops  in  front,  so 
that  by  next  morning  he  says  that  he  could  have  beaten  back  the 
world  if  attacked  over  the  same  ground.  There  were  changes  made 
also  in  Jackson's  line,  and  the  weaker  parts  re-inforced.  By  10  o'clock 
on  the  14th,  Gen.  Longstreet,  in  a  letter  written  at  my  request,  says 


r 


20 


that  it  became  evident  that  the  attack  would  not  be  renewed  by 
Burnside,  and  that  Gen.  Lee  himself  then  considered  the  question  of 
making  an  assault. 

The  attack  was  not  made  and  the  entire  army, so  far  as  I  am  advised, 
at  the  time  endorsed  General  Lee's  action.  Afier  the  enemy  had  retired 
from  our  front  and  sheltered  themselves  at  the  river  an  attack  on 
our  part  would  have  renewed  the  fight  of  the  18th  with  the  positions 
of  the  two  armies  reversed,  and  the  chances  greatly  in  favor  of  the 
Federals.  General  Jackson  as  shown  by  the  above  mentioned  order 
determined  on  the  evening  of  the  18th  to  make  a  forward  movement, 
and  to  make  it  at  a  late  hour,  so  that  if  it  failed  he  should  be  able 
under  cover  of  the  night  to  withdraw  his  troops.  This  movement 
was  attempted  on  a  pari:  of  his  line,  and  was  placed  in  charge  of 
General  Early;  but  as  Jackson  says. himself  in  his  report,  the  first  gun 
had  hardly  moved  forward  from  the  woods  a  hunnred  yards,  when 
the  enemy's  artillery  reopened  and  so  completely  swept  our  front  as 
to  satisfy  me  that  the  proposed  movement  should  be  abandoned. 

This  should  settle  and  forever  the  question  as  to  Jackson's  opinion  and 
action  in  regard  to  attacking  and  "  pushing  the  enemy  into  the  river." 

The  troops  engaged  and  the  losses  by  States  at  Fredericksburg 
were  as  follows : 

North  Carolina  had  82  regiments;  lost  killed  and  wounded 


Georgia 

ii 

28 

1; 

1  b 

attery,  1  legion 

Virginia 

it 

25 

U 

1 

u 

Mississippi 

t( 

7 

u 

u 

ii          ii       ii 

Alabama 

K 

9 

It                  11              u 

South  Carolina 

tt 

11 

it 

ii 

1  rifles 

Tennessee 

it 

Q 

o 

u 

(1 

ti     it 

Louisiana 

tt 

10 

t< 

u     a 

Texas 

u 

2 

tt 

tt     ti 

Florida 

11 

2 

it 

ii     it 

1... 

1,521 

'   1,069 

365 

65 

70 

531 

154 

77 

6 

45 

Recapitulation. 

North  Carolina  lost  1,521  out  of  32  regiments. 

Georgia  "     1,069     :'     "  28  regiments,  1  bat.,  1  legion. 

All  others  "     1,813     "     "  69  regiments,  1  rifles. 

With  such  victories  as  Fredericksburg,  with  those  that  preceded 
and  those  that  follow,  d,  and  so  many  of  them,  it  would  seem  that  our 
success  should  have  been  assured  ;  we  failed.  The  President  of  the 
late  Confederacy  has  been  much  censured  and  an  effort  made  to  throw 
a  portion  of  the  responsibility  of  the  failure  on  him.  I  seek  not  to 
inflame  the  bitterness  of  the  past;  I  enter  into  no  personal  contests; 
I  know  no  man,  and  seek  only  to  vindicate  the  truth  of  history  as  I 
understand  it.  That  Mr.  Davis  had  his  faults  none  will  deny;  that 
he  made  mistakes  all  will  concede.  Who  is  so  perfect  as  to  be 
exempt  from  human  fallibility  ?     But  that  he  was  justly  responsible 


21 

[,    in  any  part  for  our  failure,  or  that  his  administration  by  any  act  of 
commission  or  omission  on  his  part  hastened  the  catastrophe,  will 
not,  in  my  judgment,  be  sustained  by  the  facts.     He  brought  to  the 
cause  of  the  Confederacy  a  very  high  order  of  ability,  an  indomita- 
ble will,  a   sincere  purpose,  and  an  intense  patriotism.     The  success 
of  the  cause  was  the  great  end  of  his  administration,  and  to  this  he 
sacredly  gave  his  talents — his  strength  and  power.     Could  personal 
sacrifices  have  promoted  it,  he  would  have  spurned  the  costs.     Could 
death  itself  have  accomplished  it,  he  would  at  any  time  have  gladly 
welcomed  it.     He  may  safely  leave  his  vindication  to  the  impar- 
tial historian.     Had  his  cause  been  successful  he  would  have  ranked 
with  the  first  patriots  and  the  best  statesmen  of  the  world.     I  watched 
him  during  the  war;  when  the  adversities  and  misfortunes  of  our 
cause  were  rested  upon  his  head  ;  I  saw  his   patience  and   heroism ; 
though  reviled  and  persecuted  he  answered  not  again,  preferring  un- 
just censure  to  a  vindication  at  the  expense  of  the  harmony  of  the 
country.     I  saw  him  as  he  stood  by  the  cause,  until  all  else  had  for- 
saken it;  I  heard  the  slanders  uttered  by  his  enemies  in   his  cap- 
ture ;  I  saw  him  in  case-mate  No.  2  at  Fortress  Monroe,  when  arrested 
for  treason,  and  it  was  declared  in  all  the  passion  and  fanaticism  of 
the  hour,  that  treason  must  be  made  odious;  I  saw   him   torn  inhu- 
manly from   wife  and  child,  and  denied  even  the  privilege  of  corres- 
pondence ;   I  saw  him,  when  to  heap   indignity  upon  cruelty,  they 
outraged  the  civilization  of  the   times   by  putting   him    in  chains, 
though  so  enfeebled  by  age  and  disease  as  to  make  his  escape  impos- 
sible ;  I  heard  his  cry  of  jjain  and  indignation  when,  in  the  name  of 
national    humanity  and    national  honor,   he  protested    against  the 
wicked  outrage  ;  I  felt  the  sympathy  of  his  surgeon  as  he  witnessed 
the  crying  shame  and  disgrace,  and  heard  him  saying  :   "that  it  was 
a  trial  more  severe  than  had  ever  been  inflicted   in   modern   times 
upon  one  who  had  enjoyed  such  eminence."     He  was  but  the  vicar- 
ious sufferer  for  the   people  he  loved  and  had  so  faithfully  served. 

I  have  seen  him  since,  an  unpardoned  rebel, > without  the  privileges 
of  the  humblest  citizen,  in  a  land  he  had  illustriously  served  as  a 
statesman  and  heroically  defended  as  a  soldier  with  his  blood.  In  all 
this  there  was  no  manifestation  of  weakness,  no  retraction  of  prin- 
ciple, no  surrender  of  manhood.  Eighteen  years  of  disability  and 
isolation  have  passed.  He  is  now  an  old  man,  and  stands  upon  the 
verge  of  the  grave,  and  will  die  as  he  has  lived,  a  patriot  and 
hero.  Grand  old  man.  Grander'  still  in  the  disabilities  and  isola- 
tion, which  environ  you  in  the  land  you  love  twenty  millions  of  hearts 
to-day  invoke  upon  you  and  yours  heaven's  richest  blessings,  and 
generations  yet  unborn  will  be  taught  to  cherish  thy  memory. 

No,  we  were  overwhelmed  by  numbers.  The  contest  degenerated 
into  a  war  of  friction  and  waste.  They  could  lose  two  to  one  and  yet 
be  greatly  superior  to  us  in  numbers.  Theimmagrants  from  the  Old 
World,  in  countless  numbers,  were  rushed  to  the  front  to  supply 
the  places  made  vacant  by  wounds,  desertion  and  death. 


22 

Grant,  in  his  campaign,  but  continued  the  policy  inaugurated  early 
in  the  war,  of  accomplishing,  by  a  wearing-out  process,  what  he  could 
not  accomplish  by  skill  or  prowess.     We  yielded  to  overwhelming 
numbers;  we  iell   commanding  the  respect  of  our  enemies  and  the 
admiration  of  the  balance  of  mankind. ^    Eichmond  was  the  objective 
point  of  every  movement.  For  this  Fredericksburg,  Chancellorsville, 
and  all  the  battles  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  were  fought.    For 
this  Sherman  marched  through  Georgia  to  the  sea,  leaving  in  his 
wakeburning  cities,  ruined  homes,  and  a  desolate  land.     Eichmond 
was    the    object.       Virginia,    for    the    most    pkrt,  was   the    battle- 
ground.    She  bared  her  bosom  to  the  storm,  and  for  four  long  years 
breasted  its  fury,  yet  she  faltered  not;  ubut  by  her  example  proved 
that  though    her  soil  might  be  overrun,  the    spirit  of  her  people 
was  invincible."     She  lost  nothing  of  her  ancient  renown.    She  gave 
Washington  and  Lee  to  the  first  Ee volution.     She  gave  seven  Presi- 
dents to  the  Union.     She  gave  Scott  and  Taylor  to  the  Mexican  war. 
and  she  gave  Lee  and  Jackson,  Ewell,  Stewart,  and  A.  P.  Hill,  among 
the  dead,  and  Joe  Johnston  and  Jubal  Early,  and  a  host  of  others,  among 
the  living,  to  the  Confederacy.     She  gave,  in  the  day  of  her  wealth 
and  power,  an  empire  to  the  National  Government,  and  in  the  day  of 
her  exhaustion  and   weakness,  by  the  action  of  the  same  govern- 
ment, her  territory  was  forcibly  divided  and  a  State  carved  out  of  it. 
But   she   still   lives,  and  is  to-day  an   empire    within   herself,  the 
mother  of  heroes  and  States  and  statesmen  as  well,  the  admiration 
of  her  sister  States  and  the  pride  of  her  own  people.     God  bless  the 
noble  old  commonwealth !      Eichmond  fell,  then  fell  Virginia,  and 
then  the  Confederacy. 

My  comrades  nearly  eighteen  years  have  passed  since  peace  was 
declared.  Of  those  who  survived  the  war,  a  large  number  have  year 
by  year  fallen  into  their  graves,  year  by  year  time  is  tracing  its  in- 
delible impressions  upon  us  all.  Many  have  grown  gray,  all  of  us 
fallen  into  the  sere  and  yellow  leaf,  and  we  too  must  soon  go  the  way 
of  all  the  earth.  While  we  live  to  us  is  committed  the  sacred  duty 
of  keeping  green  the  graves,  and  to  preserve  imsullied  the  memories 
of  the  dead.  While  one  of  us  may  remain,  let  him,  if  need  be,  like  old 
mortality,  devote  himself  to  the  pious  task  of  renewing  and  preserv- 
ing the  records  and  chiselling  deeper  in  the  marble,  inscriptions  that 
tell  of  deeds  that  must  not  die,  and  let  me  urge  you  if  it  be  necssary 
to  this  end  to  teach  your  children  the  names  of  the  battles,  the  names 
of  the  heroes,  as  far  as  it  can  be  done,  and  the  graves  of  the  unknown 
martyrs.  Let  them  take  up  the  sacred  task  where  we  leave  it,  and 
let  them  so  teach  their  children  and  children's  children  to  the  latest 
generation. 

Let  Yankee  doodle  and  Dixie  stand  side  by  side;  they  were  both 
inspired  by  the  love  of  liberty.  Let  Manassas,  Fredericksburg,  Chan- 
cellorsville, King's  Mountain  and  Yorktown  live  on  the  same  sacred 
page  o  our  history,  for  they  were  alike,  struggles  in  the  cause  of 
freedom,  and  the  rights  of  men.     We  were  unsuccessful,  that  proves 


( 


23 

nothing  as  to  the  right;  the  principle  is  unchanged,  impartial  history 
will  vindicate  us,  and  to  that  tribunal  we  commit  the  lost  cause. 

There  is  no  conflict  in  all  this  with  our  duty  to  the  Union.  It  is 
the  duty  of  every  citizen  to  honor  it  in  peace  and  defend  it  in  war, 
and  I  am  sure  none  will  respond  to  these  duties  of  the  citizen  with 
more  alacrity  or  faithfulness  than  the  battle  scarred  veterans  who 
followed  Lee  and  Jackson,  and  their  descendants. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  N.C.  AT  CHAPEL  HILL 


00032771224 


FOR  USE  ONLY  IN 
THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  COLLECTION 


